[160][161] He said he sympathized with them, but denied any formal connection, although he claimed he could muster thousands of men himself. Cav. 0:04. After his bloody defeat at Franklin, Hood continued on to Nashville. Mary has been praying for me night and day for all these years, and I feel now that, through her prayers, my life has been spared and I have passed safely through so many dangers. The Union garrison at Fort Pillow consisted of about 600 men, divided almost evenly between black and white troops. In July, he led them into Middle Tennessee under orders to launch a cavalry raid, and on July 13, 1862, led them into the First Battle of Murfreesboro, as a result of which all of the Union units surrendered to Forrest, and the Confederates destroyed much of the Union's supplies and railroad track in the area. Forrest believed in surprise, audacity, and nerve, and trained his men to become splendid scouts and raiders. This unit, which varied in size from 40 to 90 men, constituted the elite of his cavalry. [18], Forrest had success as a businessman, planter and slaveholder. Upon seeing how badly equipped the CSA was, Forrest offered to buy horses and equipment with his own money for a regiment of Tennessee volunteer soldiers. [46] Forrest's command included his Escort Company (his "Special Forces"), for which he selected the best soldiers available. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. His cavalry destroyed railroad and blockhouses and blockaded shipping on the Tennessee River, disabling and capturing several Union vessels before destroying the Union supply depot at Johnsonville. The effort was spearheaded by Take 'Em Down 901, an organization dedicated to removing Confederate iconography, which was founded by activist Tami Sawyer. Birthday: July 13, 1821 ( Cancer) Born In: Bedford County, Tennessee, United States 24 17 Military Leaders #45 Leaders #215 Quick Facts Nick Name: Old Bed, Devil Forrest, Wizard of the Saddle Died At Age: 56 Family: father: William Forrest mother: Miriam Beck siblings: Colonel Jesse Forrest, John Cimprich Military Leaders American Men In the 1870s, Forrests health began to fail, and for several years he was plagued by illness. Smith at Tupelo, where Forrest was wounded while directing the pursuit of retreating Federal troops. [108] Forrest set up a position for an attack to repulse a pursuing force commanded by Sturgis, who had been sent to impede Forrest from destroying Union supply lines and fortifications. Paramount in his strategy was fast movement, even if it meant pushing his horses at a killing pace, to constantly harass the enemy during raids by disrupting their supply trains and communications with the destruction of railroad tracks and the cutting of telegraph lines, as he wheeled around his opponent's flank. Despite a lack of formal military education, Forrest was known for his keen tactical skills including the use of fast-moving cavalry and hit and run attacks. William Hugh Montgomery 1792 - 1829 . Family He was married to Mary Montgomery in 1845 in Desoto County, Mississippi. John Goodwin, of Forrest's cavalry command, forwarded a dispatch listing the prisoners captured. [132] Aiming to right his past wrongs, Forrest encouraged African-Americans to "work, be industrious, live honestly and act truly", as well as declaring that "when you are oppressed, I'll come to your relief". It was after these efforts failed that Klan violence and intimidation escalated and became widespread. Some kept going, right into the river, where a number drowned, and the swimmers became targets for marksmen on the bluff. Tom Hanks' title character in the film Forrest Gump remarks in one scene that his mother named him after Nathan Bedford Forrest and "we was related to him in some way". [132], Forrest reportedly died from acute complications of diabetes at the Memphis home of his brother Jesse on October 29, 1877. Chapel Hill. Learn more about merges. After success in achieving the objectives specified by Hood, Forrest engaged Union forces near Murfreesboro on December 5, 1864. [105] Here, the mobility of the troops under his command and his superior tactics led to victory,[106][107] allowing him to continue harassing Union forces in southwestern Tennessee and northern Mississippi throughout the war. Their great-grandfather, Shadrach Forrest, moved between 1730 and 1740 from Virginia to North Carolina, where his son and grandson were born; they moved to Tennessee in 1806. [70] Like several others under Bragg's command, he urged an immediate follow-up attack to recapture Chattanooga, which had fallen a few weeks before. [185] His eulogy was delivered by his recent spiritual mentor, former Confederate chaplain George Tucker Stainback, who declared in his eulogy: "Lieutenant-General Nathan Bedford Forrest, though dead, yet speaketh. [80] The fort was manned by 557 Union troops, 295 white and 262 black, under Union commander Maj. L.F. Have you taken a DNA test? After the age of 8, Bill grew up as an only child. He is remembered both as a self-educated, innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a leading southern advocate in the postwar years. He and his twin sister, Fanny, were the two eldest of blacksmith William Forrest's twelve children with wife Miriam Beck. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. He attended Georgia Institute of Technology from 1924 to 1934, and was commissioned in the Cavalry from West Point in 1928. He denied membership, but his individual role in the KKK was beyond the scope of the investigating committee, which wrote: "Our design is not to connect General Forrest with this order (the reader may form his own conclusion upon this question)". [224] Though it was a novel and succinct condensation of the military principles of mass and maneuver, Bruce Catton writes of the spurious quote: Do not, under any circumstances whatever, quote Forrest as saying 'fustest' and 'mostest'. [196] It is now the site of the Arnold Engineering Development Center. Forrest recovered and began thinking about his future. Impressed with his gallantry Mrs. Montgomery agreed. The next month, he captured the Union garrison with its stores at Murfreesboro, and on July 21, 1862, he was promoted to brigadier general, and began a long and illustrious association with the Confederate Army of Tennessee. His men were devoted to him, admiring his stature, commanding air, courtesy, even his ferociousness. Also called 18th Battalion, 26th Battalion, Balchs Battalion and McDonalds Battalion. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. He wrote on April 4, There is a Federal force of 500 or 600 at Fort Pillow, which I shall attend to in a day or two, as they have horses and supplies which we need.. [19][13][20] In 1858, Forrest was elected a Memphis city alderman as a Democrat and served two consecutive terms. In 1866, Forrest and C.C. He reported for training at Fort Wright near Randolph, Tennessee,[41] joining Captain Josiah White's cavalry company, the Tennessee Mounted Rifles (Seventh Tennessee Cavalry), as a private along with his youngest brother and 15-year-old son. Brett Forrest resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado; I'm a descendant of Confederate general and first Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest, and I candidly and wholeheartedly believe . Nathan B. Forrest III was born in Memphis, Tenn., in April 1905. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. In 1869, Forrest expressed disillusionment with the lack of discipline in the white supremacist terrorist group across the South,[8] and issued a letter ordering the dissolution of the Ku Klux Klan as well as the destruction of its costumes; he then withdrew from the organization. He was the son of Nathan Forrest and Mary Montgomery. 0:54. In the winter of 1862-63, he was continually active in raiding the enemys lines of communication, and succeeded in severing Grants communications in western Tennessee in December 1862. Forrest, who was a Freemason,[7] joined the Ku Klux Klan in 1867 (two years after its founding) and was elected its first Grand Wizard. [26], Nathan Bedford Forrest was a tall man who stood sixfeet twoinches (1.88m) in height and weighed about 180 pounds (13st; 82kg);[27][28][29][30] He was noted as having a "striking and commanding presence" by Union Captain Lewis Hosea, an aide to Gen. James H. Wilson. The Confederates tried to storm the fort, but were repulsed; they rallied and made two more attempts, both of which failed. His other memorial can be seen here: Jeffrey Edward Forrest Civil War Confederate Officer. [13] Forrest's family lived in a log house (now preserved as the Nathan Bedford Forrest Boyhood Home) from 1830 to 1833. William Bill Forrest was born in Desoto County, Mississippi on September 26th, 1846 to Nathan Bedford and Mary Ann Forrest. [37] They had two children, William Montgomery Bedford Forrest (18461908), who enlisted at the age of 15 and served alongside his father in the war, and a daughter, Fanny (18491854), who died in childhood. Geneanet. General Forrest would be remembered only as a daring and successful guerrilla cavalry leader, were it not for the one great and indelible stain upon his name. In 1845, Jonathan Forrest was killed in a street fight over a business dispute. Explore the catalogue according to effect, room or colour. This monument stands as testament of our perpetual devotion and respect for Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest. In July 1864, he stood off USA General A.J. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Capt. Nathan was born on July 13 1821, in Chapel Hill, Bedford, now Marshall County, Tennessee, United States. A system error has occurred. William "Bill" Forrest was born in Desoto County, Mississippi on September 26th, 1846 to Nathan Bedford and Mary Ann Forrest. Others have tried to get a bust of Forrest removed from the Tennessee House of Representatives chamber. The Confederate army dispatched him with a small force into the backcountry of northern Alabama and western Georgia to defend against an attack of 3,000 Union cavalrymen commanded by Colonel Abel Streight. Before the war, Forrest amassed substantial wealth as a cotton plantation owner, horse and cattle trader, real estate broker, and slave trader. The losses were a deep blow to the black regiment under Sturgis's command. He liked horses because he liked fast movement, and his mounted men could get from here to there much faster than any infantry could; but when they reached the field they usually tied their horses to trees and fought on foot, and they were as good as the very best infantry.[222]. On April 18, 2018, the Tennessee House of Representatives punished Memphis by cutting $250,000 in appropriations for the city's bicentennial celebration. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. White Americans who made up the KKK hoped to persuade black voters that a return to their pre-war state of bondage was in their best interest. [63][64][65], Not all of Forrest's exploits of individual combat involved enemy troops. In 1834, Nathans father packed the family up and moved to a small farm in northern Mississippi. For other uses, see, Klan prosecution and Congressional testimony (1871), sfn error: no target: CITEREFSelect_CommitteePolandScott1872 (, church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, List of American Civil War generals (Confederate), Nathan Bedford Forrest bust in the Tennessee General Assembly building, Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials, "Tennessee to remove bust of Ku Klux Klan leader Nathan Bedford Forrest from state Capitol", "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Nathan Bedford Forrest Boyhood Home", "Lieutenant-General N. B. Forrest and His Campaigns", "Civil War Myths, Mistakes and Fabrications", "The Fort Pillow Massacre. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. A funeral procession formed at the church by thousands of marchers, who then proceeded to accompany the body to Elmwood Cemetery where he was buried. Visit the Ragno website and discover our Ceramic and Porcelain Stoneware collections. Their marriage of thirty-two years produced one son and a daughter who died in infancy. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. They commissioned him as a lieutenant colonel and authorized him to recruit and train a battalion of Confederate mounted rangers. In August, a historical society called Friends of Forrest moved forward with plans for a new, larger monument, which was to be 12 feet high, illuminated by LED lights, surrounded by a wrought-iron fence and protected by 24-hour security cameras. The Montgomerys buggy had broken down while crossing a stream, and some local young men were on the river bank laughing and teasing Mary Ann and her mother. An expert cavalry leader, Forrest was given command of a corps and established new doctrines for mobile forces, earning the nickname "The Wizard of the Saddle". He passed awayon 7 FEB 1908in Memphis, Shelby, TN. They had two children, William Montgomery Bedford Forrest (1846-1908), who enlisted at the age of 15 and served alongside his father in the war, and a daughter, Fanny (1849-1854), who died in childhood. Organized as a battalion at Memphis, October, 1861; increased to regiment January, 1862; divided into two battalions April, 1862; four Alabama companies transferred to 4th (Russells) Alabama Cavalry Regiment in November, 1862; 18th Battalion first known as Balchs Battalion; then as McDonalds Battalion; finally as 26th Battalion; reorganized as regiment latter part of 1864; consolidated with 12th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment in February 1865; surrendered and paroled at Gainesville, Alabama, May 1865 In the spring of 1864, General Forrest, who had been raiding throughout western Tennessee in Kentucky, planned to move on Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River with about 1,500 to 2,500 men. Team USA started Friday by dominating the foursomes portion. MacDonald's Bn. One of the wounded Matlock men survived and served under Forrest during the Civil War. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. In fact, it was only disbanded when its work was essentially done blacks and Republicans had been terrified into not voting and when it came under intense criticism. Immediately thereafter, Forrest joined General John Bell Hood in the disastrous Tennessee campaign of November and December 1864. The bronze casting of more than heroic size (one and one-half life size), weighs 9,500 pounds. All Previous Reports Fully Confirmed. Now often recast as "Getting there firstest with the mostest",[223] this misquote first appeared in a New York Tribune article written to provide colorful comments in reaction to European interest in Civil War generals. in Chapel Hill, Tennessee, USA , United States, Died on October 29, 1877 when he was 7 years old and later to Atlanta, GA. Sports betting may work on Beale Street. Forrest took his grievance to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Forrest sympathizers have long claimed that he disbanded the Klan when it became violent. In July 2021, Tennessee officials voted to move Forrest's bust from the State Capitol to the Tennessee State Museum. occupation of William, Nathan Bedford Forrest's dad. [12][13] Forrest was the first son of Mariam (Beck) and William Forrest. [34][54], By early summer, Forrest commanded a new brigade of inexperienced cavalry regiments. He was not as successful in railroad promoting as in war and, under his direction, the company went bankrupt. McCreanor contracted to finish the Memphis & Little Rock Railroad, including a right-of-way that passed over the ridge. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. [100], At the time of the massacre, General Grant was no longer in Tennessee but had transferred to the east to command all Union troops. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. In June 1861, he enlisted in the Confederate Army and became one of the few soldiers during the war to enlist as a private and be promoted to general without any prior military training. The aphorism was addressed and corrected as "Ma'am, I got there first with the most men" by a New York Times story in 1918. Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821 - October 29, 1877) was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. The time 9:01 is significant to Memphis Greenspace President Van Turner. Tippah County, Mississippi native Jeffery Edward Forrest was a younger and purportedly favorite brother of Nathan Bedford Forrest. Weve updated the security on the site. Please reset your password. He was the first born of two children. Year should not be greater than current year. [80] Forrest had reached the fort at 10:00 am after a hard ride from Mississippi,[80] and his horse was soon shot out from under him, causing him to fall to the ground. . Services were held at Court Avenue Presbyterian Church in Memphis, and an oration was given by Jefferson Davis. Fort Pillow Massacre Historians still argue over Forrests responsibility for the Fort Pillow Massacre, in which many Union African American troops were killed. [143] The title "Grand Wizard" was chosen because General Forrest had been known as "The Wizard of the Saddle" during the war. By this time, his fame as a cavalry leader had become legendary, and his exploits continued until the end of the war. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. [132] According to Forrest biographer Jack Hurst, writers present at the public viewing of Forrest's body and at the funeral procession noted many black citizens among them. Klansmen took their orders from their former Confederate officers. [175] George Cantor, a biographer of Confederate generals, wrote, "Forrest ducked and weaved, denying all knowledge, but admitted he knew some of the people involved. 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